Amazon has issued a warning to customers after it confirmed it took down tens of thousands of scammers. The global company took down more than 20,000 phishing websites and 10,000 phone numbers that were being used by scammers to impersonate Amazon, with the global powerhouse issuing guidance to those who use the service.
In an email sent to shoppers, Amazon said people should be wary of installing apps and software as the company will not ask you to download anything in order to receive a refund or to get help from customer service. It has also advised people to never pay over the phone as Amazon will not ask people to provide their payment information over the phone.
People are also urged to verify their orders directly with Amazon, with the company not calling, texting or emailing people about unexpected orders. For any questions about orders, people should check "Your Orders" on the website or app, Liverpool Echo reports.
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Amazon has said it will not pressure people into acting immediately - scammers are said to create a "sense of urgency" in order to persuade customers into doing what they say. People are also asked to report these communications directly to Amazon.
For more information on how to stay safe, people can go to the security and privacy page on the Amazon website. This comes after it was reported scammers are impersonating the online retailer to gain access to customers' devices and steal personal information such as bank details, according to consumer rights website Which?
On its website, Which? said: "Amazon confirmed to Which? that it will never ask customers to provide remote access to their devices or make any payments outside of its website."
Fraudsters start the scam by ringing from an unrecognised number. When a person answers, the scammer will tell them their Amazon Prime subscription is going up in price or is about to expire.
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